A football team that had an 0-10 record just two seasons ago gave itself a chance to live a dream yesterday. Kenwood climaxed its rise from near-oblivion with its ninth 1992 victory, 24-0 over host Chesapeake-BC, and forged into playoff contention.
The possibility of appearing in the state Class 3A tournament was so remote 10 weeks ago that coach Fred Myers practically wrote it off.
The program was down and having such difficulty attracting athletes that Baltimore County officials consented to scheduling Kenwood primarily against 2A schools to allow the team to be competitive.
Because fewer points are accumulated by playing schools in a lower classification, the Bluebirds started with one strike on them. Then, Myers said that even if the team qualified, he would not usurp the position of another Baltimore County team in the tournament.
All that is history. The Bluebirds (9-1) outpointed all their 3A county rivals despite playing the lesser schedule, picking up eight bonus points by dominating their cross-town Essex rival. The Bayhawks (8-2) are also in the running for the tournament field, which will be determined Sunday.
Myers told the team in the end zone after the game of his decision that if the Bluebirds qualify they can go to the playoffs, leading to a unanimous whoop.
"I thought of that game when Overlea was beating us 52-0 [two years ago] and how Deon Campbell had split open his hand," Myers said. "He played the rest of the game because we only had 11 players. It is those type of kids who kept this program going."
Transfers Joe Cofield (Dunbar) and Joe Gray (Lansdowne) scored all the points in the finale and did it in electrifying fashion.
The tenor was established immediately when Cofield returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.
Gray followed with a sensational 28-yard scoring reception on the final play of the first quarter.